Recent art exhibition curated by Kathy Varadi

ANTHROPOCENE: THE PERIOD WHEN HUMAN ACTIVITY HAS BEEN THE DOMINANT INFLUENCE ON CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

Anthropocene is an art exhibit about how humans have profoundly affected the landscape of the earth since the Industrial Revolution. The term Anthropocene is a recently described epoch in geological history. It is not an official designation but is a name given by global change activists to the recent time period of formidable changes made by humans on the earth. The artwork in this exhibit reflects the artists’ observations and response to how humans have changed the nature of the earth. 

The global environmental crisis is so huge that it can be overwhelming for the individual. For things to change it may have to be done collaboratively. This spirit of collaboration is reflected in this art exhibit with the invitation to artists from all disciplines and departments throughout Savannah College of Art and Design. In addition, all levels of experience from students to alumni to professors and staff are represented. 

Local as well as global environmental issues are addressed such as recovery and preservation of the Savannah River and Coastal Georgia. Much has been done to call attention and awareness to the dilemma of global climate change, so this exhibit strives to present solutions and demand change now. Ideas and artworks are presented in many formats and styles: 2D, 3D and audio/video/installations. 

The spirit of the Anthropocene exhibition of 2019 can be summed up in the words of Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Greta Thunberg when she spoke to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice Poland when she said, “You are never too small to make a difference.”

This exhibition was hailed as “a timely, eloquent, visually virtuosic experience” by SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. It also received outstanding accolades in “Go Savannah” and “Connect Savannah.”

Lisa Lebofsky, “Melting Iceberg”, 2015, oil on aluminum panel, 25 x 40 inches